State Champ Radio sports
Page: 4
Source: Steph Chambers / Getty
On Thursday morning (October 23), the National Basketball Association was rocked with the arrests of Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier. Both men were arrested in connection to a pair of federal investigations into gambling, as reported by ESPN’s lead NBA insider Shams Charania.
Billups’ case reportedly stems from allegations that he was involved in an illegal poker operation with ties to members of three Mafia families. According to CNN, Billups allegedly took part in games which took place in Miami, Las Vegas, Manhattan and in the Hamptons. Billups, an NBA Hall of Famer and former champion with the 2004 Detroit Pistons, is in his fifth year coaching Portland who lost their season opener to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. He expected to appear in court on Thursday afternoon for a preliminary hearing.
Rozier has been the focus of a federal investigation since a game on March 23, 2023 when Rozier was with the Charlotte Hornets as they played the New Orleans Pelicans. Several sportsbooks flagged suspicious activity coming in, tied to wagers on Rozier’s points, assists and rebounds totalling $200,000. Rozier left that game with a foot injury. Since then, Rozier and his agent have spoken with the FBI multiple times. The NBA stated that it also looked into the game and didn’t find any league rules broken.
According to reports, former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones was also arrested Thursday, on charges he provided inside information about players to co-defendants who used it to make sports wagers. He was allegedly also involved in the same illegal poker operation that Billups was involved in, and purportedly asked for a payment of $2,500 before taking part. Jones was an eleven-year league veteran, and coached under Tyronn Lue from 2016 to 2018.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is expected to hold a press conference later on Thursday morning, with director Kash Patel speaking in detail about the arrests along with the office of the Eastern District of New York. Rozier’s lawyer, Jim Trusty, spoke to CNN, defending his client. “Terry was cleared by the NBA and these prosecutors revived that non-case. Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight,” he said.
Trending on Billboard
The NFL is standing by Bad Bunny as next year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner, regardless of the controversy surrounding the decision.
While speaking to press on Tuesday (Oct. 21), the league’s commissioner, Roger Goodell dismissed questions about whether the NFL would reconsider the selection of Benito to perform at the big game in February. “He’s one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world,” he said, according to CBS Sports. “That’s what we try to achieve.”
“It’s an important stage for us,” Goodell continued. “It’s an important element to the entertainment value. It’s carefully thought through.”
He also pointed out: “I don’t think we’re ever selected an artist without some blowback or criticism.”
The commissioner’s comments come amid backlash from certain people — primarily MAGA conservatives — who have taken issue with the choice of a Spanish-speaking musician to perform at halftime. President Donald Trump called it “absolutely ridiculous,” while White House advisor Corey Lewandowski said, “It’s so shameful they’ve decided to pick somebody who seems to hate America so much to represent them at the Halftime Show.”
The chart-topping singer-rapper — who is from Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States — has never indicated that he hates America. He has, however, expressed his hesitance to tour in the U.S. due to concerns that ICE might target his audiences, a fear that Lewandowski further stoked by adding in an October interview that immigration enforcement agents would be present at the Super Bowl.
“There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally,” the advisor said at the time. “Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find you and apprehend you and put you in a detention facility and deport you.”
Turning Point USA, an ultraconservative youth organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk, also announced its intention to host an alternate halftime show out of protest.
But while there is a loud and vocal group speaking out against Bad Bunny’s appointment as 2026 halftime headliner, countless others — from Shaboozey to Jennifer Lopez — have shared how excited they are for Benito’s performance. Shakira also recently said, “It’s the perfect moment for a performance like this.”
She added in an interview with Variety, “I’m so proud that Bad Bunny, who represents not only Latin culture, but also how important Spanish language music has become on a global scale and how universal it has become, is getting to perform on the biggest stage in the world.”
Trending on Billboard Drake is always repping for Toronto, and he celebrated in style with the Blue Jays punching their first ticket to the World Series since 1993 on Monday. The 6 God was living and dying with every pitch of game 7 as the Blue Jays won a classic behind a George Springer go-ahead […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Trending on Billboard
The 80th season of the NBA tips off on Tuesday, Oct. 21. After 23 years being being broadcasted on TNT, the National Basketball Association is finally heading back to NBC with a must-see season opening doubleheader between the Houston Rockets vs. the defending champs, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Golden State Warriors vs. the Los Angeles Lakers. To learn how you can watch basketball all season long without cable, keep reading.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
When Does the 2025 NBA Season Start?
The 2025 NBA season tips off with an incredible doubleheader with the Houston Rockets vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder followed by the Golden State Warriors vs. the Los Angeles Lakers. Opening night airs on Tuesday, Oct. 21 on NBC, which can be streamed online with Peacock.
How to Watch the 2025 NBA Season Without Cable
The 2025 NBA season will air across NBC and ESPN while streaming on Peacock, DirecTV, Prime Video, Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV. Don’t have cable? Here’s everything you need to know on how to stream NBA games online for free.
DirecTV
Join DirecTV with a five-day free trial to enjoy your favorite sports and other entertainment. The streaming service’s signature packages feature more than 90 channels: ABC, TNT, ESPN, NBA TV, ESPN2, FS1, SEC, MLB Network, TLC, CBS, USA, Bravo, E!, BET, MTV and more.
A subscription to DirecTV — which comes with NBC and ESPN for NBA games — gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, starting at $49.99 for the first month of service ($89.99 per month afterwards). The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free, if you sign up now.
Peacock
With the NBA on NBA, fans can now catch games streaming on Peacock. While there is no free trial for new users, the platform offers cheap plans starting at just $10.99 per month, or you can get an annual plan for $109.99 per year (which gets you 12 months of streaming for the price of 10). Sign up below.
Sling TV
Sling TV offers the Blue package, which comes with NBC. Blue is one of the most affordable options and comes with more than 40 channels and can be streamed on up to three device at a time. Please note: Pricing and channel availability varies from market-to-market.
Sling TV is another streaming option for sports fans on a budget. With Sling Orange + Blue package, you can stream ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, TNT and other channels for starting at $33 for the first month ($65.99 per month afterwards).
You’ll also get more than 45 other networks, including Disney Channel, ESPN2, NBC, Fox, TBS, Bravo, Discovery Channel, Fox News, MSNBC, National Geographic, USA Network, Fox Sports and more. Please note that channel availability and price depends on your local TV market. Learn more about Sling TV here.
Hulu + Live TV
For the most content offerings, you can sign up for Hulu + Live TV and get access to the Hulu library in addition to more then 95 live TV channels (including NBC). The streaming platform starts at $64.99 per month for the first three months of service ($82.99 per month afterwards).
And, for even more programming, Hulu + Live TV now comes bundled with Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited, which gives you everything within the Hulu library, in addition to exclusive content on ESPN for even more sports coverage.
Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is the exclusive home for the NBA’s Friday night doubleheaders — and it’ll be the exclusive streaming home for Thursday night NBA games starting in 2026.
To watch Friday Night NBA games, you’ll need a Prime Membership. Signing up will grant you access to Prime Video to watch the basketball games as well as a whole suite of benefits, including fast same-, next-, or two-day free shipping; discounts at Whole Foods Market, access to exclusive shopping events — like Prime Day and Black Friday — and more.
Amazon is offering a 30-day free trial for new users who want to test out the service. When the trial is up, you can either cancel the streaming service altogether, or you can keep watching for $8.99/month for the base Prime Video plan. But, if you want all the perks that come with Amazon Prime, it goes for $14.99/month (or $139/year) — a nearly 25% savings.
What’s the 2025 NBA Season Opening Week Schedule?
Don’t miss any of the on court action this week with must-see matchups including Golden State vs. Los Angeles Lakers (Oct. 21), Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks (Oct. 24) and Oklahoma City vs. Dallas Mavericks (Oct. 27). See full schedule as well as where to watch each game below.
Tuesday, Oct. 21
Houston vs. Oklahoma City — 7:30 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
Golden State vs. Los Angeles Lakers — 10:00 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
Wednesday, Oct. 22
Cleveland vs. New York Knicks — 7:00 p.m. (ESPN)
Brooklyn vs. Charlotte — 7:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Miami vs. Orlando — 7:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Toronto vs. Atlanta — 7:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Philadelphia vs. Boston — 7:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Detroit vs. Chicago — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
New Orleans vs. Memphis — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Washington vs. Milwaukee — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
LA Clippers vs. Utah — 9:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
San Antonio vs. Dallas — 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Sacramento vs. Phoenix — 10:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Minnesota vs. Portland — 10:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Thursday, Oct. 23
Oklahoma City vs. Indiana — 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Denver vs. Golden State — 10:00 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday, Oct. 24
Atlanta vs. Orlando — 7:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Cleveland vs. Brooklyn — 7:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Boston vs. New York Knicks — 7:30 p.m. (Prime Video)
Milwaukee vs. Toronto — 7:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Detroit vs. Houston — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Miami vs. Memphis — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
San Antonio vs. New Orleans — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Washington vs. Dallas — 8:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Minnesota vs. Los Angeles Lakers — 10:00 p.m. (Prime Video)
Golden State vs. Portland — 10:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Utah vs. Sacramento — 10:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Phoenix vs. Los Angeles Clippers — 10:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Saturday, Oct. 25
Chicago vs. Orlando — 7:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Oklahoma City vs. Atlanta — 7:30 p.m. (NBA TV)
Charlotte vs. Philadelphia — 7:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Indiana vs. Memphis — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Phoenix vs. Denver — 9:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Sunday, Oct. 26
Brooklyn vs. San Antonio — 2:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Boston vs. Detroit — 3:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Milwaukee vs. Cleveland — 6:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
New York Knicks vs. Miami — 6:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Charlotte vs. Washington — 6:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Indiana vs. Minnesota — 7:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Toronto vs. Dallas — 7:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Portland vs. Los Angeles Clippers — 9:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento — 9:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Monday, Oct. 27
Cleveland vs. Detroit — 7:00 p.m. (Peacock)
Orlando vs. Philadelphia — 7:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Atlanta vs. Chicago — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Brooklyn vs. Houston — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Boston vs. New Orleans — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Toronto vs. San Antonio — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Oklahoma City vs. Dallas — 8:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Phoenix vs. Utah — 9:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Denver vs. Minnesota — 9:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Memphis vs. Golden State — 10:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Portland vs. Los Angeles Lakers — 10:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Tuesday, Oct. 28
Philadelphia vs. Washington — 7:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Charlotte vs. Miami — 7:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
New York Knicks vs. Milwaukee — 8:00 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
Sacramento vs. Oklahoma City — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State — 11:00 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
Source: Al Bello / Getty
During his half a decade stint as the head coach of the New York Knicks, Tom Thibodeau earned himself a Coach Of The Year award and led the team to four playoff appearances in his five-year tenure and though fans were mostly relieved to learn the news that Thibodeau had been fired by the team’s owner, James Dolan, Thibs doesn’t seem to harbor any ill will towards the franchise, the fans or the city (unlike a Julius Randle).
A week after the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau following the team’s elimination at the hands of the Indiana Pacers, Tom Thibodeau took out a full-page black-and-white ad in The New York Times to thank the Knicks and the city of New York for helping him live out his “dream job” as he was able to coach the Knicks back to relevancy following decades of pain, scandals and disappointment for fans of the franchise.
“I am grateful that dream became a reality. Thank you to our players and coaching staff who gave everything they had, and to everyone who makes the franchise special. I am proud of everything we accomplished together, including four playoff appearances and this year’s run to the Eastern Conference finals – our first in 25 years.”
Unfortunately for the team, it seemed like Thibs was outreached by Indiana Pacers head coach, Rick Carlisle who seemed to have Thibs number at every twist and turn throughout the series.
With rumors swirling that Thibs was fired by the team after players were interviewed about the situation, it didn’t help that one of the teams top players allegedly said he couldn’t continue to play for Thibodeau next season. Though no names have been leaked as to who might’ve made such a statement, people assume it was one of the Knicks starting five players as Thibs never plays his bench anyway. Another reason many fans wanted Thibs to be relieved of his head coaching duties.
Regardless of how you may have felt about Tom Thibodeau, the man did make the Knicks winners again and helped bring back excitement to the Mecca of Basketball that hadn’t been felt in decades.
Thanks, Thibs.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Samuel L. Jackson didn’t exactly know what he was getting into when he first agreed to be a part of Kendrick Lamar‘s Super Bowl Halftime Show. The veteran actor and civil rights activist stopped by the Mad Sad Bad podcast and talked about his turn as Uncle Sam during the Super Bowl earlier this year, […]
ESPN is giving Lil Wayne fans a sneak peek at his The Carter VI album mere hours before it arrives. Unreleased track “The Days” featuring Bono has been used in a promo ad for game one of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday (June 5). “I pledge allegiance […]
Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” has become an anthem for the Edmonton Oilers, and the hit played throughout Rogers Place arena after the Oilers won game one of the Stanley Cup against the Florida Panthers in overtime on Wednesday night (June 4). NHL icon and former Edmonton Oiler Wayne Gretzky was in the building as […]
As the 2025 Stanley Cup Final kicks off with Wednesday night’s (June 4) Game 1 showdown between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers, players and fans alike have no choice but to rock out to the NHL‘s brand-new promo starring and soundtracked by Linkin Park. The promo — which opened the TNT broadcast of […]
Source: Getty Images / Indiana Pacers / New York Knicks
It’s no longer orange and blue skies after the NBA’s “most overrated player,” Tyrese Haliburton, and the Indiana Pacers once again sent New York Knicks, Ben Stiller, Timothee Chalamet, Spike Lee, and the rest of the diehard Knickerbocker fans on summer break.
The New York Knicks and their fans thought their 52-year championship drought was coming to an end, but unfortunately, the Indiana Pacers had other plans.
Last night, in a game that started close, the Pacers eventually cruised to a 125-108 Game 6 win over the Knicks, punching their ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years to face the Oklahoma City Thunder, where they hope they can win the franchise’s first NBA title.
Out of the gate, the Knicks didn’t let the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd affect them, keeping the contest close, trailing by only four points at halftime. But it was clear they couldn’t keep pace with the Pacers, who turned it on in the second half, ending the third quarter with an 11-point lead that the Knicks couldn’t overcome.
It didn’t help that the Knicks’ offense was stifled by the Pacers’ defense in the second half. The clutch player of the year and Knicks’ top offensive weapon, Jalen Brunson, was held to just 19 points and shot 4/10 at the half because Andrew Nembhard locked him down.
In Games 1-5, Andrew Nembhard defended Jalen Brunson for 49 match-ups, allowing 51.0 player points per 100 match-ups
In Game 6, Nembhard defended Brunson for 55 match-ups, giving up just 9.1 player points per 100 match-ups
He was sensational. pic.twitter.com/VQNoJSo22x
— Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper) June 1, 2025
Turnovers Killed The Knicks’ Chances
The Pacers also forced 18 Knicks turnovers, scoring 25 fastbreak points, a recipe for disaster for any team trying to win an Eastern Conference Finals series.
After being stifled in Game 5, Tyrese Haliburton returned to form, scoring 21 points and dishing out 13 assists. However, it was Pascal Siakam’s 31-point performance that helped put the Knicks away for good, earning him the series MVP award, which also provided a classic meme moment.
Tyrese Haliburton thought that Larry Bird ECF MVP trophy was his🤣#NBA #Pacers pic.twitter.com/59eF189mNI
— Caleb Nixon (@calebnixonmedia) June 1, 2025
Jalen Brunson Still Has Confidence In This Knicks Team
Despite solid offensive efforts from OG Anunoby, who led all Knicks scorers with 24 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns with 22, it just wasn’t enough.
It didn’t help that Josh Hart, who has been reliable all season, didn’t leave his mark on the game, scoring only 4 points.
Following the game, Brunson says he still believes in this Knicks team as it is constructed, telling reporters he has “The most confidence, overconfident, seriously,” Brunson said. “There’s not an ounce of any type of doubt that I’m confident with this group.”
Jalen Brunson was asked if he has confidence that Tom Thibodeau is the right coach for the Knicks moving forward:
“Is that a real question right now? You just asked me if I believe if he’s the right guy. Yes.” pic.twitter.com/FRjCO8genL
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) June 1, 2025
A Magical Season Comes To A Bitter End
Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks looked like they were on the verge of a special season after two big playoff series wins, including knocking off the defending champion Boston Celtics.
But it would turn out their biggest test would be the franchise’s longtime rivals, the Indiana Pacers, who have played boogeyman to the Knicks franchise for many years.
Coming into the series, the Knicks had all the momentum, especially after pulling off one of the biggest comebacks in playoff history en route to denying the Celtics the opportunity to defend their 2023-24 NBA championship.
It would turn out that the Knicks would get a taste of their own medicine after they dramatically blew a significant lead in game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, which led to an insane Tyrese Haliburton buzzer-beater to force overtime, where the Knicks came up short, and eventually would go on to lose the series.
TYRESE HALIBURTON BUZZER BEATER FORCES OT 🤯🤯🤯
AND HE DID THE CHOKE SIGN TO THE KNICKS!!! pic.twitter.com/0jufr6naNl
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 22, 2025
As you can imagine, Knicks fans’ emotions are all over the place. Some are proud of their Knickerbockers, while others feel a change is needed, calling for the firing of head coach Tom Thibodeau, whose rotations and refusal to use his bench were once again the subject of discussion.
Tom Thibodeau is just Doc Rivers but plays his stars 48 minutes a game. pic.twitter.com/d2fVTya9Cj
— chickenfried🍗 (@realzachbrown) May 26, 2025
Welp, there’s always next year.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. A proud Knicks fan
I don’t care I’m damn proud of this team.A season full of memoriesTwo All Star startersBack to back 50 win seasonsGreat series win vs DetroitAn upset for the ages vs BostonFirst ECF in 25 yearsIt was an amazing season pic.twitter.com/JWJipMcEsq— KNICKS BEAST (@KnicksBeast) June 1, 2025
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
